


Child's Lament

by MMidnight26



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Grief/Mourning, Sibling Bonding, mild violence?, not graphic though, thk misses their dad a lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:54:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23825629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MMidnight26/pseuds/MMidnight26
Summary: Deepnest isn't the safest place to be, but that light seems like it will lead them to somewhere safer. Somewhere familiar.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 64





	Child's Lament

They breathed.  
They sat.  
They waited.

Their sister would not be long-- she never was, she was a fairly punctual bug. If they could just remember when she left, or… or what she left for, or-  
The water was warm. Warm, something much different than the air around them. Everywhere else here was dark- way too dark- filled with skittering, feral bugs that did not think nor question, so they sat and they waited. Their nail rested on the bench, not any more than an arm’s reach away, kept just-  
The water had a slight glow to it. A glow that was familiar. Something they knew, regardless of whether or not they would ever be able to pin it down. Something, something was familiar, they knew a light, they knew some sort of light-

They looked up only to catch a faint glimpse of a light. Light taken solid form, light they knew. Light that was familiar, light they trusted. It drowned out any other light that wanted to exist, it shone, it raged, and it welcomed.  
And it beckoned.

They breathed.  
They stood.  
They left.

\---

Deepnest wasn’t the most welcoming environment. As much as she knew its pathways and as much as she was familiar with the creatures dwelling in its depths, it was rare to find a trustworthy face here. Even the kindest of bugs had to eat.  
She carried a hunt of sorts in a bag slung over her shoulder, her needle remaining in her hand, not getting a moment’s rest.  
She did not wish to leave her sibling alone, but they needed to rest, and worst come to worst, she knew they were capable of defending themselves. It did not mean, however, she was taking her time heading back.  
The hot spring’s light was visible from a distance, and she relaxed ever so slightly in its warmth.  
She gently dropped the bag next to the spring.  
“Apologies for taking longer than intended, but-”  
Irritation began to set in as she saw her sibling was not where they were. She had told them not to wander off, as they were the type to forget where they were and would need to be found and it would take so long--  
Her eyes caught the shine of light against their nail, still resting on the bench.  
Irritation immediately turned to fear.

Her sibling was an airhead, but they were not an idiot.

She took a shaky breath.  
“Hollow?” Her voice was much louder than normal.  
She ran.  
They had to have gone this way, there was no other way they could’ve gone, and- oh god, oh god, what if something had happened to them? No, no, they could handle themselves against some husks or dirtcarvers, so where the _hell_ had they gone?  
“Hollow!”  
She heard nothing but the own echo of her voice and the rushing in her ears.  
A clatter came from the distance.  
She trembled and threw her needle forward, following its direction.

\---

The light evaded them, though it flooded their mind with warm, familiar, loving memories. Memories of white curtains, memories of hushed murmurs wherever they went, memories of song, memories of a tender embrace.  
Memories of light.  
They chased it only further, needing to see more and more each time. A light, a cloth, a horn.  
They needed to see it, they needed to know if it was what they thought it was, what they wanted it to be.  
That figure only fled from them further until it finally reached the end of its chase. He stood there, waiting for them- beckoning them. They needed to see him, they needed that light, they needed his light.  
The illuminated silhouette of the Pale King stood before them. They needed his comfort, his embrace.  
They inched ever closer, past husks that seemed to only get more prominent the further they went.  
They dropped to their knees, reaching out to him. The crunching and skittering of bugs was still ringing in their head, but they only stared at his face, at… at his...

The whistle of thread cut through the air as he reeled back, screeching out as a needle pierced his body.  
They promptly stood, running up to him, but was violently shoved back by- by their sister, they looked down to see their sister urgently tugging their wrist, dragging them away.  
“Come on,” she urged. “we need to get out of here!”  
They thrashed against her grip- no, no, they couldn’t leave, they couldn’t leave him when he was so close, when they were right there. He screeched and they knew he was calling to them- they needed to go back.  
“Hollow, it’s not him!” Hornet practically screamed at them as another hand grasped their waist, trying to drag them back further.  
They gave a shriek as they tried to get away from her, a sort of garbled cry leaving their throat as they jerked their arm and tried to throw their sister’s arms off of them.  
The light got further and further as they yelled, each cry with more desperation- with less coherence as they only got farther from who they needed most.  
They were helpless against her, though.  
The Hollow Knight, savior of Hallownest and former vessel of the old light. Fearless hero to all.  
She dragged _the_ Hollow Knight away from the nest, kicking and screaming.

\---

She polished her needle thoroughly, trying to eliminate all traces of whatever substance came from that creature. She knew of it, knew of the victims it claimed.  
Its… victims…  
She looked up at her sibling, laying still in the spring. Their head rested against a large rock as they slouched, their arm propped along the water’s edge. 

Slowly, she set her needle down and walked over to them, sitting at their side, just barely dipping her legs into the water.  
Hornet tapped their shoulder softly, prompting a minute shifting of their mask in her direction.  
“I’m sorry,” she signed.  
They gave an audible huff and looked away again.

She glanced down at the water for a moment and fully climbed into the spring, shuffling over to their other side. They looked at her again.  
“I know you miss him, but you need to know he’s gone,” she told them.  
They dragged their arm into the water and curled up slightly, turning the other way once more. If they were giving her the silent treatment, she could handle that, but…  
Their breathing was shaky as their shoulders trembled. 

She hesitantly tapped their shoulder once more and they completely turned away from her, only showing her their back.  
Hornet shuffled over to their side again, holding the side of their mask with her hand, trying to urge them not to turn away again.  
“It’s okay.”  
Their head tipped down at the words as their shoulders shook. They brought their hand to hers, tightly pressing it to their face as they leaned into her touch.  
Only the faintest trickle ran down from their eye, but the dark liquid was not easy to miss.  
She wrapped her arms gently around their chest, holding them to her as they trembled. Their arm coiled around her and squeezed as she stroked their back. She could feel the cold drops on her shoulders as they pressed their mask against her with a quiet whine. 

They shook, and they cried.

When she felt their grip loosen, she pulled away, but only slightly- just enough to where they could look at each other.  
“I know that-” she began to sign before they grabbed her hands with a faint shake of the head.  
They brought their own hand away from hers.  
“Speak.”  
She hesitated only a moment, but talked to them.  
“I can only imagine what you must be going through,” she murmured. “I know you cared about him, and I know you miss him, but there’s nothing we can do. You know it wasn’t him, right?”  
They nodded, almost like they were ashamed.  
“It’s okay to miss him. I want you to know that,” she said, holding their hand with hers. “You’re allowed to be sad, you’re allowed to cry. He was your father, and you loved him.”  
They leaned forward, nuzzling their mask against hers as they held her close once more.  
Perhaps it was fine if they stayed here a little longer.

**Author's Note:**

> Based off a drawing by marggri on tumblr! (https://marggri.tumblr.com/post/612669315766976512/in-the-deepest-darkness-there-are-beasts-who-wear)


End file.
